- 2 tablespoons prepared black olive paste (not tapenade)
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 slices firm white sandwich bread, crusts discarded and bread cut into 1/4-inch dice (1 cup)
- 3 pounds baby (1-inch) beets with greens (about 40), stems trimmed to 3/4 inch
- 3 ounces frisée (French curly endive), cut into bite-size pieces, or baby arugula (2 cups)
- 1/4 pound ricotta salata
- 1/3 cup finely chopped shallot
- 1 1/2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
- 1 1/2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
- Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.
- Stir together olive paste, oil, and a pinch of pepper in a bowl, then add bread, gently tossing to coat. Spread bread in 1 layer in a shallow baking pan and toast, stirring once, until golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack, then transfer to a small bowl.
- Increase oven temperature to 425°F.
- Wrap beets tightly in double layers of foil in 4 bundles (about 10 beets each) and roast until tender, about 1 hour.
- Carefully unwrap beets and, when cool enough to handle, slip off and discard skins. Trim beets and halve lengthwise.
- Whisk together shallot, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, soy sauce, and salt in a small bowl, then add oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified. Season with pepper.
- Toss beets with 1/4 cup vinaigrette in a bowl, then season with salt and pepper. Divide beets among 8 plates and top with frisée. Drizzle frisée with remaining vinaigrette and sprinkle croutons on top. Shave thin slices of ricotta salata over each salad using a cheese plane or a vegetable peeler.